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From dog parks to playgrounds, Downtown Development District should consider a greener city core, panel recommends

Lafayette Square Gailler Hall

Gallier Hall is seen through a lighted live oak tree at Lafayette Square on in New Orleans on Wednesday, September 8, 2010.
A partnership between Entergy Corporation, Downtown Development District, The US General Services Administration and the Lafayette Square Conservancy brought lights to Lafayette Square in New Orleans on Wednesday, September 8, 2010.
(Rusty Costanza, The Times-Picayu)

The Downtown Development District should consider taking control of parks and pedestrian areas within its territory by contracting with the city and explore dog parks, playgrounds, plazas and other open urban spaces for future development, a panel of experts recommended Wednesday (May 7).

As more people call downtown New Orleans home and more creative industries open offices, the Downtown Development District has a "once in a generation" opportunity to push for more green, open spaces to improve quality of life in the city's core, said the panel organized by the Urban Land Institute Louisiana.

"One of the dynamics of our downtown is that most of the existing buildings are in the process of being repurposed, but we have a lot of raw land," panel member Marcel Wisznia of Wisznia Architecture and Development said at a community meeting Wednesday. "What incentives programs can we offer to these landowners to be part of this re-greening of our downtown?"

The Downtown Development District asked for input on green space from the Urban Land Institute Louisiana. Around the world, the Urban Land Institute uses "technical assistance panels" to tackle land use and real estate issues.

In New Orleans, the 10-member panel studied the possibilities for downtown over two days in March, including interviewing more than 50 people.

On Wednesday, the panel unveiled their lengthy list of recommendations, which they said marked only a starting point for the Downtown Development District. The meeting was held at the American Institute of Architects office on Lee Circle.

The district encompasses the Central Business and Warehouse districts and other neighborhoods within its boundaries -- Iberville Street, Claiborne Avenue, the Pontchartrain Expressway and the Mississippi River.

Among other suggestions, the panel recommended dog parks or skate parks under elevated freeways, small pockets of green space known as "parklets," courtyards, extended sidewalks and pedestrian friendly plazas, such as rejuvenating the Lafayette Street mall or the underused Duncan Plaza. The district could contract with the city to better maintain and develop existing parks, the panel said.

John Renne, a University of New Orleans associate professor in planning and urban studies, said the district should also question the current parking payment system. It's more expensive in private lots and cheaper on the side of the street, creating clogged traffic as drivers circling the block. Streetside parking prices could be adjusted to a higher market rate, he said.

Meanwhile, he said, streets such as Loyola Avenue, Convention Center Boulevard and Howard Avenue could benefit from reducing traffic lanes to one in each direction, and convert the other lanes into green spaces, pedestrian walkways and bike lanes.

For funding such projects, the district's restoration tax abatement program, which freezes property taxes for developers improving properties for five years, could be expanded to include open spaces and new construction. A millage increase for an open space fund or a tax increment financing district directing revenues to green developments are other options, the panel said.

Kurt Weigle, DDD President and CEO, said the next step will be creating a comprehensive green space plan and deciding which of the panel's suggestions to pursue.

Weigle said green space is an important part of the district's economic development strategy. Digital media, arts and biomedical companies look for lifestyle factors when choosing where to move or expand.

"Residents, office workers, property owners, we all deserve great spaces, whether it be for respite or for business," Weigle said. "Our ultimate goal is to create beautiful spaces of respite and delight...Our vision is to compete with some of the great cities of the world -- Paris, London, Hong Kong and New York."